Contrasting Tales of two African football Legends and Lessons to be Learned.

I was watching a sport tv program yesterday night without paying much attention until the face of a former Arsenal football Club defender popped up. Been an Arsenal FC Lover, it caught my interest immediately. He was complaining bitterly about how people are using his misfortune to merchandise and exploiting money from people on social media. He sounded so pained and also mentioned it at the end of the talk. He previously granted an interview on Sunday Mirror detailing his personal heartbreak and financial woes.

Every day I wash my jeans, my clothes, everything. My hands are hard. As though I have been working on a farm.
Sometimes I shut off the lights because I don’t want people to know that I am inside. I put everything behind the door.
I am in the house but I am scared. Because I don’t know what time the police will come.
I look back and say ­‘Emmanuel, you have been naive... why didn’t you think about that before?’ It is hard.

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Emmanuel Eboue is 34 years of age and left Arsenal Football Club less than 7 years ago. He played for galatasaray in the Turkish league for 5 year after leaving Arsenal. He also Signed for Sunderland in 2016 before he was banned for one year by FIFA for not paying his agent. Eboue represented his country, Ivory coast in two world cups and five Africa cup of nations.

After listening to his talk last night, my mind went back to another African great footballer, a former world footballer of the year and the only one from Africa. He played for clubs like Monaco, PSG, Milan, Chelsea, Manchester City, Marseille, Chelsea (on loan) before he retired from football in 2003 playing for Al-Jazira.
He entered into politics after retirement and contested to be the president of his country in 2005 but lost. He did not have a high certificate as he was reported to drop out in his final year of studies in high school, his opponent used that against him in his 2005 defeat. George Weah took his 'never say die' football style to politics. He went back to school, improved his credentials and boosted his political chances. Now he is the President of Liberia.

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What do these men have in common
They both came from slums of Africa and starting their lifes, all they cared about football. Education (not necessarily formal) was not important, they have the talents and skills to conquer the world and they did. They made it to limelight of Europe and the World, they found fame and fortune. They married the women they can only dream of back then in the slum. Mission accomplished... But there is more to life. Getting to the top is hard but sometimes staying there is harder.

Lessons to be Learned
This is not to talk down Eboue, I cannot do that as he was one of my favourite footballers and brought me a lot of joy watching him played for Arsenal. But he made some mistakes we can all learn from.

*Never totally trust someone to manage your your money. We see this play out many times, professional athletes earning millons of dollars during their active years and later become broke. Most of them are quick to blame their friends, family, associates for stealing and mismanaging their fortune. Of course someone needs to look after your business and fortune but every decisions, dotting the Is, crossing T should be yours because the consequences are.

*Whatever you skills or trade, some financial educations are important. Most times, it is not taught or well taught in schools. You have to learn it learn it on your own through books, audiovisual or from the experienced ones.

*It is not how much you are earning that is most important, or how much you save (saving is the first step of course) but how much you invest and multiply.

Thank you for reading.

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